When Kyle Bradford Jones, MD, FAAFP became a SoMeDocs member and then filled out the tagline of his profile, he chose to make it short and sweet.
It was a no-brainer that he should join the lineup of our upcoming virtual conference, #SoMeDocsWriters, when we not only published a page to showcase his book –
Book: Fallible: A Memoir of a Young Physician’s Struggle with Mental Illness – but after he also submitted a pitch for a lecture that fit in so well, Common Writing Scams: What to Watch Out For.
Dr. Jones is, per his words, “a family man, family physician, baseball-lovin’, award-winnin’ author, non-fiction-readin’, movie-watchin’, health care policy advocatin’, child of the Intermountain West.” He works hard “to decrease the stigma surrounding mental illness in our society and among doctors who suffer from depression and anxiety.”
Sit back and enjoy the rest of what this doc had to say.
What have you written? Tell us about it/give us an overview, before we dive in to your work and the writing process.
I have published three books: Fallible: A Memoir of a Young Physician’s Struggle with Mental Illness; HOSPITAL! A Medical Satire of Unhealthy Proportions; and When All Hope Seems Lost: A Gospel Perspective on Mental Illness in Youth.
I have recently started a weekly Substack newsletter of medical satire called The Hypocritic Oath.
We built Dr. Bradford’s book, Fallible, its own page, in our very own BOOKS/BLOGS Directory, to help get the word out on his work!
What inspired you to start writing alongside your medical career?
I’ve always been a writer at heart! I wrote essays, poetry, and for blogs even before I became a physician. I would likely write no matter what my “day job” is.
Was there a specific moment when you thought, “I need to write this book/blog”?
My first book Fallible originated from some blogging and podcasts I had done about mental illness in physicians, and my experiences specifically. It resonated with people so strongly, I determined that a book would be necessary to fully do the topic justice. It won an award and was an Amazon best-seller, and had led to many opportunities to speak and advocate for physicians.
I started writing satire because it’s just fun. It’s a needed relief and difference from writing about weightier matters!
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How does your medical background (if you have a different background, apply it to this question) influence your writing style and topics?
As you can tell from the books I wrote and the ongoing medical satire I write, being a physician influences nearly everything that I write. It’s an important perspective in writing, and one that I don’t think we should shy away from. No matter what topics we write about, our experiences, both joys and sorrows, of working in medicine should flower our efforts.
And frankly, healthcare and medicine is just funny, so have fun with it, no matter the topic!
Have you ever had a patient, or someone else that you didn’t know, recognize you from your book or blog? How did that go?
Yes, mainly colleagues and a few people in my local community. It’s awkward, for sure. It’s not as though I’m a celebrity, I think it’s more just the shock of unintentionally meeting someone that you are familiar with. Especially having written a memoir of mental illness, people feel like they really know me as I shared a lot of personal things in Fallible. It is kind of fun, but also a bit embarrassing.
Do you have a strict writing routine, or do you write whenever inspiration strikes—like between patient rounds?
I use Evernote to keep track of my ideas as they come. I’m able to kind of flesh out a general outline even before I start writing, so the writing often goes smoother. I end up writing in small chunks, often on my phone or iPad, just given the time available. I struggle to sit and spend multiple hours in a row on writing.
No matter what topics we write about, our experiences, both joys and sorrows, of working in medicine should flower our efforts.
How do you balance writing with a demanding healthcare career (or whatever other profession you’re in)? Any productivity hacks?
Make note of ideas as they come. I like to let thoughts and ideas simmer in the back of my mind, and then it’s much easier to get the process going. Take advantage of small moments.
Do you outline meticulously, or are you more of a “let’s see where this goes” kind of writer?
A little bit of both. I usually start with an outline that I’ve been pondering, but it often goes in a different direction once I get going. I personally think that both methods have a lot of upside, so stick with what works for you.
What’s the weirdest or funniest thing you’ve Googled while researching for your writing?
Furries vs Therians. You’ll have to check out my newsletter (The Hypocritic Oath, through Substack) to figure out why!
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What are you going to bring to the table at our #SoMeDocsWriters, as a speaker or attendee?
I am presenting on different publishing scams that writers are targeted for. I really wish I had more information on this before I began publishing, because there are a lot of people out there interested in taking advantage of you.
We feature a directory that highlights books and blogs – how do you hope a directory like this will help get the word out on experts’ work?
It makes for a nice resource for like-minded authors and doctors. It’s hard to find resources specific to physician writers and finding their output.
Tell us about your latest book/blog—what’s the heart of the message?
My current newsletter is all medical satire. The message is to laugh at ourselves and the healthcare system. I think it’s accessible to most people, but healthcare professionals will have a much higher appreciation for the scenarios.
Your next favorite healthcare writer may already be here. Visit our directory to discover expert authors, blogs, books, and the voices you’ll want to keep following.
Have any of your colleagues or patients reacted in surprising ways to your writing?
Yes. Some worried that I might get sued and/or lose my license for writing so openly about personal issues. Others have expressed big reservations that I am putting physicians in a negative light. These reactions have been a significant minority of feedback I’ve received.
If your book became a movie, who would play you in the film adaptation?
Jon Hamm, though he’s not quite as handsome as I am…
Did you encounter any “doctor-turned-writer” stereotypes while publishing?
Yes. One agent told me “Every doctor has a story about being a patient and their changed perspective. It’s so cliche, I hope no one ever publishes another book about that.”
SoMeDocs is pleased to announce a virtual conference focusing on writing as a healthcare professional. Topics range from Book Publishing — Getting Started, to Writing Fiction: The Secret Sauce that Keeps Readers Turning Your Pages, and more.
If you wrote a book, did you go the traditional, self-publishing, or hybrid route? How did you find the process?
I was rejected by 70 agents and small publishers before finding an indie publisher interested in my book. The romantic in me wants a book published by one of the big 5 publishing houses, but it’s unlikely to happen for me.
My publisher has allowed me a tremendous amount of freedom and control. However, I was expecting a little more support and guidance in editing and marketing than I received.
How are you marketing your book (besides the collective marketing of SoMeDocs)?
So many ways! I don’t have room for all of the angles, but just know that marketing is harder than writing. For me, social media has been hit or miss. Podcast appearances may have helped slightly. Probably the most successful is word of mouth from friends and family, and getting those close to you provide as many Amazon reviews as possible. But I’ve found the process very difficult.
What’s harder—writing a book or making it through a 24-hour hospital shift (if you’ve worked through one)? If you haven’t is there any other comparable activity?
If you like writing, it comes a lot easier, but it is work. I went through roughly 20 edits of my first book before publication, which was a nightmare. I can’t even remember what was left in or taken out sometimes. But either endless editing or a prolonged hospital shift are better than getting a kick in the face with a golf shoe!
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If you could have lunch with any author (living or dead), who would it be and why?
Probably Shakespeare because, come on, he’s Shakespeare!
What’s one medical myth you’d love to debunk through your writing?
That doctors have it easy, and that we’re all rich and selfish.
If you weren’t in medicine or writing, what would you be doing?
Third baseman for the Minnesota Twins, obvi.
Can you share one piece of advice for healthcare professionals who secretly want to write but don’t know where to start?
Start by writing down your ideas in a notebook or on your phone. Periodically review your notes and you’ll start to see a pattern that emerges for structure. And if that doesn’t work for you, then just start writing anything. Initial drafts are never very good but it gets the juices flowing.
I was rejected by 70 agents and small publishers before finding an indie publisher interested in my book.
